


The Rose Quartz

by gayyyluigi



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon), steven universe future - Fandom
Genre: Fix-It, Post-Rose Buds, Rose Buds, Steven Universe Future Spoilers, in which Steven finds a mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21722365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayyyluigi/pseuds/gayyyluigi
Summary: After the episode Rose Buds, Steven is still struggling to find his place in the new world the Gems have helped to create. Perhaps there’s something he’s still missing in his life?
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	The Rose Quartz

**Author's Note:**

> After the Rose Buds episode, I was left feeling a bit disappointed that they didn’t do more with the Rose Quartz that looked nearly identical to our Rose/Pink Diamond. She had such a minor role compared to the other two Rose Quartzes, and I felt she needed some more attention, and to be able to start to heal some of the hurts of the past with Steven!
> 
> If you guys like this, let me know and I’ll perhaps think about adding more chapters! But for now, this is just a one-shot :)

It was another day of living with the Little Homeworld Gems. There were Gems to teach, Gems to heal, buildings to be improved, and all of that good stuff. Steven had a busy day ahead of him. He was still trying to find his role in all of... this. Pearl was an instructor in technology, Garnet was an instruction in self-love and meditation, Amethyst was running the Gem job assistance program, Peridot was running the garden center, Lapis was running the morp classes, and Bismuth was running the forge, but Steven still really hadn’t found his place. Sure, he was nurse for the Gems, and he helped everyone out from time to time, but he still really hadn’t found a place to call his own. 

Steven was about to set off for Little Homeworld when suddenly, the Warp sprung to life, a beam of light radiating from it to signal the arrival of a Gem. Steven looked in that direction, and when the light dissipated, much to his shock, the Rose Quartz from the Human Zoo that looked identital to his mother was standing there.

“Woah, woah, what—?!” Steven exclaimed, startled. “I thought you— you were on the cruise ship—!! What are you doing here?!” He didn’t mean to exclaim his question like that, but seeing her was still incredibly jarring, especially given that now it was just her rather than the trio.

“Steven, I—“ the Rose Quartz stepped forward, a sad, longing look on her face. “I just... wanted to talk to you. About some things.”

Steven took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, and he nodded. He walked over to the couch and sat down, patting the spot beside him. “Alright. Let’s hear it.”

The Rose Quartz sat down beside him with a sad smile. “Thank you, Steven.” She put a hand on Steven’s thigh, and Steven tried his best not to flinch.

“So, what’s the story?” Steven asked, looking up at the Rose Quartz.

“Well... I’ve been talking to some Gems that were present in late Era One and early Era Two,” Rose explained. “They told me that... that I look nearly identical to your mother. That I was likely the Rose Quartz she based her appearance on. And I knew that was probably very hard for you, since I looked like someone you used to be. Or... that’s what I thought. But then I found myself wondering just what happened when your Rose Quartz turned into you.

“I came back to Earth and went to Little Homeworld, where I asked some of the Gems about just what a mother is and what they do... and although they didn’t know, they directed me to your little human friend, Connie. She sat me down and explained to me what mothers are like, what they do and how they care for their children. And... I’ll never completely understand what it’s like for you, but I feel like I understand better now why you were so shocked and scared to be around me. It’s got to be hard, missing such an integral part of who you are. Humans are supposed to have two parents, a mother and a father, and you only had a father. You’ve probably missed her your whole life... and for me to show up and look exactly like her... That has to be crushing.”

The Rose Quartz sighed, looking away sadly. “I may not be your mother, Steven... but... you deserve one. And I am the closest thing to your mother that you will ever get. I will never be her, I don’t know much about what she was like other than what I knew being a Gem under her command and what I’ve heard from the others, but... she made us Rose Quartzes to be how I’ve heard her former allies describe her. Kind. Loving. Compassionate. The other Diamonds didn’t approve, but... perhaps she made us to fill a void inside of her. Like she seems to have made the Amethysts to fill the void of fun in her life, perhaps she made us to be loving where the Diamonds were not. Rose Quartzes were made to love. And... I want you to feel that love, Steven. I might not be your mother, but... perhaps I could become one to you?”

As the Rose talked, Steven’s eyes had filled with tears. He had been so wrong to be so afraid of being around this Rose. This wasn’t Pink Diamond. This wasn’t the cruel dictator who had sacrificed the lives of innocent Gems to further her own causes. This was a Rose Quartz, and she had everything good about Pink Diamond inside of her without all of the bad things. This Rose was very similar to who he had at first imagined his mother to be.

As Steven processed what the Rose was saying, he thought back to the time that he had had Rose’s room conjure up the image of Rose. How they had played together, how she had loved him. He wanted that desperately. And the original Rose Quartz— Pink Diamond— could never give that to him. But here was another Rose Quartz, so similar to his mother and yet so different, offering to fill that void.

Tears escaping and rolling down his cheeks, Steven crawled into the Rose’s lap and rested his head against her chest like a child, wrapping his arms around her and weeping. The Rose wrapped her arms around him and held him close, rubbing his back soothingly.

“Thank you, Rose,” Steven whispered, voice weak from the lump in his throat. “I know you’re not my mom, but... I’d like you to be.”

“Of course, Steven,” Rose murmured, smiling fondly down at him and running a hand over his curly hair. “I love you.”

“I— I love you too, Mom,” Steven replied, his voice breaking with emotion. Finally, he had something he’d been missing his entire life. Finally, he had a mother.


End file.
